What is this fascination with iso6400?

Do you think you will get quality images at iso6400 with any system, ever? they may be ok but useful for what exactly? Why is a forum dedicated to a lower-end of camera systems seemingly obsessed with iso6400? OK, maybe camera y isnt as good as x at iso6400, who gives a xxxx, buy some decent glass. You would have to be shooting in a tunnel at night not to be able to get a decent result with f1.4/1.8 glass at iso1600, even 3200 is the max you want to be at, shotts above these iso's are really because there is no alternative, we've run out of f stops, we are at long focal lengths, we cant use flash. But let's be honest most of us are shooting closer to base, aren't we?

asked and answered ...

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Kevin - Photos 'n Prose: http://the-photo-muse.blogspot.com/
WSSA member #104
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just to add, its about 2% of most people's output! or should be.

You are right. By all means, just show everybody where are those super fast f1.4 500mm lens. Or even 300mm f1.8.

If you did you'd know why there's no such a thing as too much high ISO.

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Renato. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhlpedrosa/ OnExposure member http://www.onexposure.net/ Good shooting and good luck (after Ed Murrow)

Precisely. Technological advances are always welcome, but if someone "needs" to shoot at ISO 6400 much of the time, s/he's definitely doing something wrong. Heck, 50 years ago people had grainy ISO 800 and 1600 and they were still able to get pretty awesome photos.

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85mm f1.4/1.8's, 200mm f2.8's, what event are you shooting that is so dark!

Even with constant f/2.8 camera meter desperately asks for 3200 and beyond because you have to use a high enough shutter speed to freeze motion. So I will second that: there's no such a thing as too much high ISO :).

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Panagiotis

one where the primary light source is those little strip lights (fairy lights) for ambience.

4EV does not even begin to cover it.

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Kevin - Photos 'n Prose: http://the-photo-muse.blogspot.com/
WSSA member #104
DPR on pic posting ...
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=30968734&q=simon&qf=m

Like I said, if this is where you have to go, then you have to go there, but its the same for everybody! iso6400 is not a panacea, its gain added at a large amount and you only have so much headroom. Maybe new sensor's in 10 years time. Trying to eak out comparisons of this cam and that cam at iso6400, pointless, its all average. Might be better to shoot video and extract the images, you only need 1/50 sec @25p you will get some blur but also you 25fps/sec to choose from. Of course you cant do that with all dslr's as the quality of sony sensors in video is a bit naff, offering limited amount of actual lines of resolution, however, the d5200 appears to have plenty

You don't have to set iso 6400. You can "underexpose" lower iso in order to protect the highlight headroom and then apply the gain in post.

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Panagiotis

Have you tried shooting raw and pulling back the shadows? should be good for 3 stops in lr4, therefore, f1.4 at iso1000 and 1/100 sec maybe more should be possible with 4ev!

Exactly, I just said the same below, that's exactly what you would do, well most normal people will try and stick below iso1000 and pull it back in raw in post.

Yes but doing this linearly there is no different than using higher iso in the first place. If you push iso 800 linearly 3 stops you have iso 6400 noise wise. So in a sense you need in the first place a camera that will respond well to severe underexposure which is the other name of high iso :).

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Panagiotis

If all I needed was focusing agility (f/1.4) and totally disregarded required DOF (f/8), hey, by all means ...

f1/4 @ 1000 @ 1/100s =

f/8 @ 1000 @ 1/4s

f/8 @ 6400 = 3.something stops = give or take 1/40s.

Now this all in natural light, without flash to freeze motion and obtain DOF, yeah, I don't need no ISO6400.

no? (Even though I suspect my reply will be shot down in flames anyhoo)

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Kevin - Photos 'n Prose: http://the-photo-muse.blogspot.com/
WSSA member #104
DPR on pic posting ...
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=30968734&q=simon&qf=m

What exactly are you trying to do? even physics has a limitation! so you want f8 now in 4ev, post a sample?

erhm, physics is not the limitation, it's the lack of high ISO to drive it.

How I prefer to make us of DOF and in what light should really not be dictated by you.

I prefer rational choice.

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Kevin - Photos 'n Prose: http://the-photo-muse.blogspot.com/
WSSA member #104
DPR on pic posting ...
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=30968734&q=simon&qf=m

Thread moved to more appropriate forum as not camera specific

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My opinions are my own and not those of DPR or its administration. They carry no 'special' value (except to me and Lacie of course)

Trends of the moment... I remind in the dark ages of film camera the hot point was fps! 99% of the people had no idea to really use a motor drive at the higher speed, but it was the top criterious most amateurs bought their cameras!

Currently high ISO and megapixels are the hype of the hosts. Clever manufacturers know to use these trends to their business...

Regards,

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O.Cristo - An Amateur Photographer
Opinions of men are almost as various as their faces - so many men so many minds. B. Franklin

Ever shoot a wedding in a dimly lit church where flash is not allowed? ISO 3200 is often not enough to avoid blurred images, even with fast glass.